Tuesday, July 20, 2010

#64: Lemon Meringue and Pine Nut Torte at BitterSweet Bakery

During her Chef's Choice profile on Gut Check, BitterSweet Bakery owner Leanna Russo said she doesn't eat sugar or sweets. I
suspect this is the secret behind the best of BitterSweet's wares:
Here sweetness is the signature note of the desserts, but unlike at so
many bakeries and restaurants, it isn't the only note, cloying and exhausting.

The lemon meringue and pine nut torte is a rare dessert that refreshes
the palate. Within a pastry shell that does indeed carry a hint of
pine-nut flavor is a lovely, tart lemon curd. Atop the curd sits a
cloud of light and lightly sweet Swiss meringue, its peaks torched a
gentle brown. Rich without being filling, brightly flavored but with
enough body from the pine-nut crust and browned meringue to seem
substantial, this is my favorite dish at BitterSweet -- and, indeed, one of my favorite desserts in St. Louis.

I'm counting down -- in no particular order -- 100 of my favorite
dishes in St. Louis. Some are well-known, others obscure. Some are
expensive, others dirt cheap. All of them, I guarantee, are delicious.
Please do not hesitate to share your own favorites via the comments
thread.